Reclining chair



Jan. m, 1939.

A. WOHLK RECLINING CHA IR Filed Dec. 14, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR dd ezwm Patented Jan. 10, 1939 NETED STATES PATENT OFlQE Claims.

This invention relates to chairs, and more particularly to the type of chairs known as reclining chairs in which the back is capable of being moved to various tilted or inclined positions with respect to the seat, and in which the seat will move forwardly as the inclination of the back occurs.

In seats of this character, as known at the present time, and particularly those wherein the back automatically assumes a position of inclination according to the pressure of the body imposed upon it, the means employed. for causing operation of the seat and back is such as to more or less limit the general design of the chair to but few variations. In such structures as known, the mechanism for causing inclination of the back and co-operative forward shifting movement of the seat is so located as to not only materially interfere with the upholstering of the chair when certain chair designs are attempted, but it also is so arranged that it. or at least some of its major operating parts are visible or exposed at such cations on the chair as to seriously detract from the appearance and design of the chair.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a reclining chair having means by which inclination of the chair back and position of the chair seat in respect to the back can be regulated by the pressure of the body; and in which the mechanism for attaining this result shall be so located and arranged that the chair may be of almost any selected design and can be upholstered to suit various requirements of furniture design. A further object of the invention is to provide an operating mechanism for a chair of the character described, which may be so arranged that it will be wholly unobtrusive and more or less hidden or concealed and the appearance of the chair will be thus in no wise detracted from.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an embodiment of the invention is shown, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a chair constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a rear View of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the chair with the back and parts of the chair frame shown. in section; Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3 showing the seat in its forward or advanced position; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-5 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The chair shown is provided with a suitable fixed frame which includes a rear member I. a front member 2 and side members 3 and 4. Supporting feet 5 of suitable design elevate the frame slightly from the floor. In the particular design of chair shown in the drawings, arms 6 are provided which extend upwardly from the frame and at their rear ends are secured to the upper ends of the vertical back members i. It will, of course, be understood that the fixed frame of the chair, the arms and other parts may be varied in shape and style according to the design of the particular chair in which the invention is incorporated.

Extending between and connecting the front and rear frame members 2 and l is a pair of spaced horizontally disposed seat-supporting rails 8 and 9, each of said rails having its upper face formed with a longitudinally extending groove ID in which wheels or rollers H mounted in brackets on the underside of the movable seat base I2 are adapted to travel during the forward and backward movement of the seat. The seat base l2 may be upholstered, cushioned or padded in any suitable manner according to the design of the chair, an example of the primary cushioning being shown at l3. Springs M each have one of their ends attached to the eyes i5 secured to the under portion of the seat 12 and their opposite ends secured to the eyes It secured to the rear frame member I. These springs are under the required tension to hold the movable seat l2 in a normally retracted or rearward position.

The back of the chair is indicated at I! and the same may be suitably upholstered, a primary form of upholstering being shown at iii in the drawings. The lower end of the back I? is formed with a centrally located, downwardly extending projection l9 through which extends a horizontally disposed rod 20, the opposite ends of said rod being supported by the plates 2| secured to the opposite side edges of the back ll. Rollers 22 are rotatively mounted on the rod 29, said rollers being supported and riding on the projecting lateral side portions 23 of the seat base l2.

Mounted to slide on the rod 26 are cylindrical pivot blocks 24 and 25, that shown at 24 being pivoted as at 26 (Fig. 6) to one end of a link 21. The pivot block is similarly pivoted to one end of a link 28. The other end of link 21' is pivoted at 29 to the upper edge of the rear frame member I, while the second end of the link 28 is pivoted to the upper edge of the rear frame member I,

as indicated at 50. The two links 2! and 28 cross one another as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and each is provided with an elongated slot 3|. The rear end of the seat base I2 is provided with a bracket consisting of the plates 32 and 33 (Fig. 5), secured on opposite faces of the seat l2 by means of the connecting bolts 34. One of the ends of each of the plates 32 and 33 projects rearwardly beyond the rear end of the seat (2 and mounted in these projecting portions of the plates is a pivot pin 35 having a roller 36 located in the crossed slots 3! in links 21 and 28.

The vertically disposed frame members 1 are each provided on their forward face with a brack et 39 which is shaped to provide a confining groove that acts as a guide for a roller 40 ro tatively mounted on a projecting stud 4! formed with a flattened portion 42 secured to the rear face of the chair back H by means of the screws 43. One of these rollers 40 is guided in each bracket 39 on each of the upright frame members 7 as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing, the operation of the chair will be readily understood. In its normal position of non-use, the chair appears as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, except that upholstery, trimmings and the like will be utilized to cover and conceal the operating mechanism. In the position there shown, the seat l2 is in its retracted or rearward position being so held bythe pull of the springs hi, the linkage connection between the seat l2 and the back [1 acting to hold the back in the upright position there shown. The seat base l2 and chair back I! will also remain in this position while the chair is occupied, the springs 54 being of requisite tension to hold the parts of the chair in this position during normal pressure of the body on the back and seat while the body remains in conventional seated position. Should the sitter desire to assume a reclining position, it is merely necessary for him to apply rearward pressure of his shoulders or upper back against the upper portion of the chair ,back i 7, such pressure acting to overcome the tension of the springs i4, and the back I! will under such pressure begin to tilt or incline as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

As the back I! begins to assume a tilting or inclined position, rollers 40 begin a downward travel in the guide brackets 39, and the backsupporting rollers 22 start to travel forwardly on the laterally extending portions 23 of the chair seat base i2. As the lower end of the chair back thus moves forwardly, the forward ends of the links 27' and 28, which are pivotally attached to the blocks 24 and 25 respectively, move toward one another, as shown in Fig. 4. As the links thus move, they cause the pivot pin 35 to be moved forwardly in the crossed slots 3|, this action forcing the seat [2 to travel forwardly, the rollers H rolling smoothly forwardly in the grooves ii]. The lower end of the brackets 39 will act to limit the descent of the rollers 40 within them and thus limit the extent of inclination of the chair back and consequently the forward movement of the seat !2.

The back of the chair will remain in any desired inclined position under pressure of the body of the sitter. When pressure of the back and shoulders of the sitter on the back I? of the chair is relieved, springs M will act to draw the seat 12 rearwardly, and as the seat moves in that direction, pivot pin 35, travelling in the slots 3|, will move the forward ends of links 21 and 28 in a direction away from one another, so that the lower end of the back I! is swung rearwardly, during which action the rollers 40 are moved upwardly in their guide brackets 39, to assume the elevated position of Fig. 1. Bumpers 45 of rubber, felt or similar soft material may be located on the rear ends of the seat projections 23 or elsewhere to soften the contact of the seat base l2 with rear frame member I as it moves rearwardly to the limit of its retracted movement. lhe rear frame member I may be notched or cut-out as at 46 to accommodate the projecting end portions of plates 32 and 33 when the seat is in its retracted position, as shown in Fig. 3.

The mechanism disclosed has its major operating elements located at the lower back portion of the chair where they may be easily covered or concealed and thus rendered unobtrusive. The operating elements are smooth-working and of simple design and a comfortable, thoroughly satisfactory inclining chair is thus provided.

What I claim is:

l. A reclining chair of the character described comprising, a frame having a rear member, a seat mounted for forward and backward travel on said frame, a back movably connected intermediate its ends to the frame and having its lower end resting on the seat and adapted to move relative to the seat, a slidable linkage connection between the lower portion of the back and the rear member of the frame, and a pivotal and slidable connection between said linkage and the seat whereby the seat will travel forwardly on the frame when the lower portion of the back is swung forwardly under the pressure of the body of the chair occupant.

2. A reclining chair of the character described comprising, a chair frame having a rear member, a seat mounted for forward and backward travel on the frame, spring means engaging the seat and frame for normally holding the seat at the limit of its rearward movement, a chair back having its lower end movably supported by the seat, said back being pivotally and slidably connected intermediate its ends to the frame, crossed links having one of their ends pivotally attached to the rear frame member and their other ends pivotally and slidably attached to the lower end of the back, said last mentioned pivots being movable to and from one another, the crossed links being slotted, and a pivot; pin secured to the seat and engaging the slots in said links.

3. A reclining chair of the character described comprising, a chair frame having a rear member, supporting rails on the sides of the lower portion of the frame, a chair seat having rollers mounted on said rails for carrying the seat forward and backward on the rails, springs secured to the seat and to the frame for normally holding the seat at the limit of its rearward movement, a chair back having horizontally disposed pivots slidably engaging parts of the frame to permit inclination of the back, rollers carried by the back for supporting the lower end of said back, supporting means on which said rollers travel as the back is moved to a position of inclination, a slidable linkage connection between the lower end of the chair back and the rear frame member, and a pivotal and slidable connection between the rear end of the seat and said linkage whereby the seat will be moved forwardly against the. tension of the springs while the back is inclined under pressure of the body of the chair occupant.

4. A reclining chair of the character described comprising, a chair frame having a rear member, supporting rails extending along the sides from the back of the frame to the front portion thereof, a chair seat having rollers mounted on said rails for carrying the seat forwardly and backwardly on the frame, springs secured beneath the seat and connecting to the rear member of the frame for holding the seat at its limit of rearward movement, a chair back having a horizontally disposed pivot to permit inclination of the back, means for supporting said pivot on the frame and permitting vertical shifting movement of the same as the back is tilted on the pivot, rollers on the back for supporting the lower end of the back, means on the seat for accommodating said rollers, crossed links connecting the lower end of the chair back and the rear member of the frame, the ends of the links connected to the chair back having sliding pivots whereby said ends of the links may be moved to or from one another as the lower end of the chair back is moved back and forth, each of said links being provided with an elongated slot, the slot in one link crossing that in the other, and a pivotal connection between the rear part of the chair seat and the crossed slots.

5. A reclining chair of the character described comprising, a chair frame, a. seat slidably mounted in said frame, a chair back pivotally and slidably mounted in the frame, crossed links each having one end pivoted to the frame and each having its other end secured to a sliding pivot attached to the lower portion of the seat back, the rear end of the seat being pivotally and slidably attached to the links at the point of crossing of the links whereby the seat will be shifted forwardly in the frame when the seat back is tilted, and springs connecting the seat and frame for moving the seat rearwardly in the frame.

AAGE WOHLK. 

